Universal pictures and DreamWorks animation has dropped the first trailer for Shrek 5. Mike Myers Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz all returned to reprise their rolea as the titular Shrek, Donkey, and Princess Fiona, all the while weaving in meta humor into the wild and crazy world of fairy tales
The returning cast will be joined by Zendaya, Marcello Hernandez and Skylar Gisondo, who will play as Shrek and Princess Fiona’s children. When the gang travels to Far, Far Away, they encounter a giant, law enforcement, and some other sketchy characters and then find their way into a bit of trouble that lands them in jail.
As soon as the trailer starts it already riffs on classic Disney animation openings where the camera focuses on a fairy tail book. This time Shrek and Donkey are the ones narrating were donkey says it’s time for a makeover. This probably explains why the animation goes from hand drawn with crayon to CG.
And the animation between when the original was released in 2001 to now has indeed changed. The details are finer, and the color is sharper. And of course the humor is on point. Some of it may be a bit dated though as Shrek and Princess Fiona travel through some shady places and are offered to go out on a date with a suspicious snowman.
As jailbirds, Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, and the ogre kids are sitting in jail, Donkey takes the time to croon “Baby Come Back,” making Shrek beg for Donkey to stop singing off-key. But just when he thought Donkey would stop, he belts out “Roxanne” which only frustrates Shrek even more.
Shrek 5 brings the franchise back with two longtime Shrek creatives behind the camera: Conrad Vernon and Walt Dohrn. Vernon helped direct Shrek 2 and has been part of the DreamWorks world for years, including Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted and Monsters vs. Aliens. Fans also know him as the voice of Gingy, a role he has carried throughout the Shrek films.
Dohrn has just as much history with the franchise, having worked as a writer and artist on Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third before serving as Head of Story on Shrek Forever After, where he also voiced Rumpelstiltskin. He later became one of DreamWorks’ key Trolls filmmakers, co-directing the first film and directing Trolls World Tour and Trolls Band Together.
Shrek 5 opens in theaters on June 30, 2027.
